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Bird Ridge Avalanche
From "The Snowy Torrents"
May 7, 1972, Girdwood, 2 hunters caught, 1 injured. Weather Conditions: Early May brought clear, sunny weather to the Chugach Mountains of south-central Alaska. Temperatures ranged from 36 to 48 degrees F from May 1 through 5, maintaining a weak isothermal snow pack, especially on south-facing slopes. On May 6, rain began to fall and continued for about 8 hours. The rain stopped, and May 7 brought a low overcast sky, light winds, and a temperature in the forties. Avalanche danger was high. In and around Alyeska Ski Area on the 7th, more than 100 wet loose and wet-slab avalanches released. One size 5, soft-slab avalanche released in the ski area at 11:45.
Accident Summary: Rich Moats and Al Jones were bear hunting on the mountain above milepost 95 of the Seward Highway, the road that links Seward with Anchorage. Mile 95 is in the vicinity of Bird Hill, an active avalanche area a few miles west of Alyeska Ski Area and the community of Girdwood. A cloud deck sat at the 2,000 foot elevation, obscuring the mountain peaks above. The hunters were walking on old avalanche debris at the 1,300 foot level when they either heard or saw an avalanche descending upon them. They ran in opposite directions
trying to reach the sides of the slide path, but the avalanche hit them and tumbled them downhill. Both men lost their packs and rifles, but neither was completely buried.
When the slide stopped, Moats could not see his friend. Staggering down the hill to the highway, Moats was picked up by a passing motorist and driven to Girdwood. Somewhat incoherent, he reported that there had been an avalanche and that one person was still on the mountain. A phone call was placed to the Alyeska hotel requesting help.
Rescue: Four National Ski Patrol members were the first to respond to a request over the public address system for all ski patrollers in the vicinity to report to the hotel desk. The information they were given was vague: a slide had occurred involving three people, first aid was needed, and someone would be at Girdwood with further instructions. On the way to the first aid room for supplies, the four rescuers were joined by several other patrolmen. Hastily gathering equipment, the group set off.
They learned the location of the avalanche at the Girdwood gas station. At milepost 95, the men grabbed their equipment and started up the hill. Norm Pichler, one of the rescuers, instructed the group to first make a list of all men and equipment giving in. A complete list could not be made because two unknown men (later identified as the motorist who picked up Moats and another man who had been at the gas station) could be seen already far up the slope, following the footprints left by Moats.
Two patrolmen, Don Conrad and Don Wick, chose a reasonably safe route to the slide deposition zone, and began to cross the area. Shortly thereafter, and approximately 1 hour after the slide had occurred, Conrad discovered Jones, alive but injured. Jones was lying on a patch of bare ground at the edge of the debris. He was on his back, head uphill, hands clasped across his chest. Bleeding from a head wound had stopped, but the pain of broken ribs made breathing difficult, and it appeared he had broken his right femur. Jones was wet, cold, and in shock.
Jones was splinted, wrapped in blankets, given oxygen, and loaded into a Stokes litter for the climb downhill. During the 45-minute trip down, Jones complained frequently of pain and experienced progressively worse shock. He was loaded into a waiting ambulance and
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